Dry-cleaning machine for gloves.



F. STBLTER.

DRY CLEANING MACHINE FOR GLOVES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1912.

1,063,841. Patented June 3,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. STELTER.

DRY CLEANING MACHINE FOR GLOVES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28,1912.

1,063,841 Patented June 3, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS STELTER, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO VOLVOX MA-CHINE COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRY-CLEANING MACHINE FOR GLOVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 28, 1912.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Serial No. 722,901.

To all vii/mm it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS Sam/run, acitizen of the United States, residing at Astoria, Long Island City, NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry-CleaningMachines for (irloves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cleaning machines and more particularly to amachine for cleaning gloves and similar small articles of apparel.

One of the objects of the invention is to effectively clean anaccumulation of dirt, grease, etc., from gloves without danger oftearing the same.

Another object is to provide a simple machine which can readily clean alarge munber of gloves.

Other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparentfrom the folllo-wing description taken in connection with the drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, parts being broken away showing one formof my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse cross section of the machinealong line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse cross section of acylinder showing a modification of the brushing arrangement of the same.Fig. f is a transverse cross section of a cylindrical receptacle showinga still further modification. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 11,. Fig. 6 is alongiti'ldinal section of a modified form of cylinder arranged to movethe material and loose brushing member within the cylinderlongitudinally of the same. F 7 and 8 are central, cross sectional viewsillustrating another modification of the invention.

The invention comprises generally an outer casing in which an innerreceptacle is revolubly mounted. The inner receptacle is provided tocontain the article to be cleaned and has loosely mounted therein one ormore brushing and rubbing members which cooperate with the inner surfaceof the cylinder to clean the gloves or other articles.

.teferring to the drawings Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of themachine, in which the outer casing is made in two halves, the lower half10 being supported by suitable standards 11 and 12 and the upper half 13of the casing being hinged or pivoted at 14 to the lower half andinelosing the inner receptacle or container 15. The outer casing usuallyformed from sheet metal and the two halves with the heads formed at theends constitute an inclosing cylinder. 6 The container or rece )tacle 15is cylindrical in shape and has stub shafts 16 and 17 secured to itsopposite ends to rotatably mount the cylinder in the heads of thestationary casing. In order to have access to the interior of thereceptacle cylinder 15 the same is provided with an opening closed bythe door 18 hinged at 19 and provided with a latch 20. The cylinder 15in the present invention is provided on its interior surface, 7 both thecylindrical part and the heads of the same, with brushing bristles 21 orother suitable brushing elements such as come on wire webs, may besecured therein in any ordinary or preferred way. Fig. 3, how- 7 ever,illustrates a very desirable arrangement of brushing devices on theinner surface of the eyliruler 15. In the arrangement as shown thecylinder is built up of a number of slightly separated longitudinallydis- 8 posed staves forming a pervious cylinder so that the benzin,which is contained in the outer casing, may enter the entire length ofthe cylinder 1.5 and splash over the gloves therein. If preferred, thecylinder 15 may be perforated as indicated. Certain of the staves 22have smooth inner surfaces while alternating with the smooth-facedstaves there are provided staves 23 which have bristles set. therein.The inner casing 15 is constructed of wood, no metal being used orexposed on the interior as the machine is used for dry benzin cleaning.liy the arrangement of alternate smooth staves and brushing staves I amenabled to obtain a rubbing as well as brushing action. The staves arerounded and smooth, and prevent the sudden descent of the gloves orother articles while the cylinder is rotating and thus prevent thegloves from bunching. All of the staves may of course be provided withbrushing bristles, but this arrangement will not maintain such an evendistribution of the articles to be cleaned.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the revolving cylinder 15 has a cylindricalblllSlllllg member 24!; loosely mounted therein. The cylinder 2% ispreferably constructed of wood and the cyliiulrical surface, as well asthe 1 curved end surfaces of the caps 25 and 26 t thereof are providedwith bristles 27, and the cylinder 24 runs loosely inside the cylinder15, the caps 25 and 26 being covered -with bristles. Any gloves caughtor moving shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, while the other brush 29 is asmooth, hollow, wooden roller similar in construction to the rollerbrushes 24 and 28 except that the exterior surface thereof is notcovered with bristles. It will be noted that no matter in whichdirection the cylinder 15 revolves the rollers 28 and 29 will rotate inthe same direction. However, the surfaces at their contact areas willmove in opposite directions and thus pr duce an effective rubbing actionon the gloves passing between.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a further modification of the constructiondescribed in which there is a comparatively large central roller brush30 loosely supported at about the center of the cylindrical receptacle15 by a plurality of smooth WOOQBH rolls 31 and brushes 32. The brushroll 30 has bristles on its exterior surface and is similar inconstruction to rolls 2-1 and 28 as are also rolls 32. The rolls 31 aresimilar in construction to the roll 29 shown in Fig. 3 having a smoothexterior surface. The rolls 31 and 32 are disposed between theinnersurface of the cylinder 15 and the exterior surface of the brush roll30and alternate, but such an arrangement is not essential.

A. modification is illustrated in Fig. 6 by meansof which the articlesand the brush within the cylinder 33 will rotate and also movelongitudinally therein along the brushing surface and therebyeffectively brush and clean the articles because they will be morereadily distributed over the interior of the cylinder not having anopportunity to bunch in any one place. To thisend the cylinder 33 isconstructed so that the heads 34. thereof will be disposed at an angleto the cylindrical body. The stub shafts 35, 36 are secured thereto inline and the loose brush roll 37 within will upon rotation of thecylinder move back and forth between the heads 3st, 3%. The cylinder 33is of course provided with an outer casing as is the cylinder 15.

In Figs. 7 and 3 there is shown a further modification of the inventionin which the outer casing 33, as well as the inner receptacle 39, aresubstantially spherical or globular in shape. The container 39 isprovided with a hinged door as in the cylindrical casing and theinterior thereof is covered with bristles. A ball brush 10 w 11Cl1 hasbristles on its exterior surface works loosely in the receptacle 39, andas in the cylindrical casing, the contact between the ball and containerwill tend to rotate the loosely mounted brush and exert a brushing andrubbing action. In Fig. 7 the receptacle 39 has stub shafts by means ofwhich it is horizontally and rotatably mounted in the casing 38. In Fig.8 the shaft is disposed at an angle to the horizontal or vertical and asthe receptacle 39 rotates the ball brush 40 in Fig. 8

will have, in addition to its tendency to roll to the lowest point inthe spherical receptacle 39, a spinning motion moving the said ballupwardly due to its cont-act with the bristles on the interior surfaceof the receptacle 39. The ball 10 will therefore have a motion oftranslation as well as a rotary motion, and. in fact, all of the loosebrushing members shown will be moved bodily as well as rotated. Toprovide the proper motion for the receptacle 15 a crank 41 is providedwhich operates a shaft 42 connected by gearing to the stub 17. By meansof this crank or any otherpreferred device a rotating and oscillatingmotion may be imparted to the receptacle 15. I prefer to rotatethe'receptacle 15 a half turn and then oscillate the same a few times,rotate it another half turn, oscillate again a few times and so on. Ifind that this arrangement will speedily clean the articles. For thismotion it may be desirable to substitute a movement in -which thereceptacle is rotated in one direction for about six times and thenreversed and rotatedin the opposite direction about six times and thenreversed againand so on. A crank 13 is provided for rotating thespherical. receptacle 39 in the manner inclicated for the container 15.If it is desired to rotate the receptacles continuously a pul- 'ley 444.may be prov d From the fore oing the operationof the device will beapparent. It will be seen that I have provided a machine for the purposedescribed which has no complicated mechanism and in which a large numberof gloves may be cleaned in a comparatively short time without breakingor tearing or otherwise injuring them. In dry cleaning with bensin,which is used in this device, it is essential that there shall not beany shafts or rotating elements within the receptacle containing thearticles to be cleaned. By my arrangement I have eliminated anypossibility of the kid gloves being caught in any 7 part of theapparatus.

It will be obvious. that various modifications within the scope of theclaims may be devised without departing from the spirit of the inventionand it is therefore not intended to limit the invention to the construction as shown and described;

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a. cleaning machine of the class described, the combination of arotatable perforate receptacle built up of spaced members, certain ofsaid spaced members having brushing means on their inner surfaces and,with the inner surfaces of the other members, forming a continuouscylindrical surface, and a cylindrical element loosely mounted in thereceptacle and having brushing means on its outer surface, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. In a cleaning machine of the class described, the combination of arotatable receptacle having a uniform curved interior surface andbrushing elements arranged on said surface, a curved member contained inthe receptacle having brushing elements on its entire convex surface,said member being freely movable in the receptacle, the brushingelements thereon cooperating with the brushing elements of thereceptacle to clean articles introduced into the receptacle.

3. In a cleaning machine for gloves and the like, the combination of areceptacle havin a continuous curved interior surface provided withbrushing means, and a member loosely mounted in the receptacle andhaving brushing means on its exterior surface, substantially asdescribed.

(t. In a cleaning machine for gloves, the con'ibination of a cylindricalreceptacle having brushing means 011 its interior surface, a cylindricalmember loosely mounted in the receptacle, said member being nearly thelength of the interior of the receptacle and having brushing means onits entire exterior surface, including the ends, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a dry cleaning machine for gloves, the combination of a movablereceptacle having brushing elements on its interior surface, a memberloosely carried in said receptacle and having brushing means on itsexterior surface, and another member having a smooth exterior surfaceand also being loosely mounted in the rece1 )tacle, said memberscooperating with each other and the receptacle when the latter moved,substantially as and for the purposes described.

(3. In a dry cleaning machine for gloves, the combination of a rotatablereceptacle having brushing elements on part of its interior surface anda part of said interior surface being smooth, a rotatable member looselymounted in said receptacle and having the exterior surface thereofcovered with brushing means, another rotatable member loosely mounted insaid receptacle and having a smooth exterior surface, said memberscooperating with each other and the receptacle, and means for rotatingsaid receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a dry cleaning machine for gloves, the combination of a receptaclehaving brushing means on its interior surface, a member disposed out ofcontact with said receptacle and having brushing means on its ixteriorsurface, a series of elements arran ed between said member and theinterior surface of the reccptaide and cooperating therewith,substantially as described.

8. In a dry cleaning machine for gloves, the combination of a receptaclehaving a curved inner surface and brushing means thereon, a memberdisposed out of contact with said rece taclc and having brushing meanson its exterior surface, a series of loosely mounted elements arrangedbetween the interior surface of the receptacle and said member andsupporting the latter in its out-of-contact position, certain of saidelements having brushing means thereon and others having smooth exteriorsurfaces, and means for rotating the receptacle for the purposedescribed.

9. In a dry cleaning machine for gloves, the (annbination of areceptacle circular in cross section and having bristles on its in norcurved surface, a member carried loosely within said receptacle, saidmember being circular in cross section, corresponding in shape to saidriweptacle and having bristles on its exterior surface, and means forimparting motion to the receptacle, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a dry cleaning machine, the combination of a hollow rotatablecircular receptacle, and a circular body within the receptacle androlling freely on the bottom thereof, one of said circular memberslaving brushing elements on its surface which contacts with the othercircular member.

1 I. In a dry cleaning machine, the combination of a hollow rotatablecylinder, and a second cylinder within the rotatable cylinder androlling freely on the bottom thereof, one of said cylinders havingbrushing ele' ments on its surface which contacts with the othercylinder.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in. presence of two witnesses.

lfiltAN CIS i TE LIE It. Witnesses:

\V 11.1.1 AM. A. U up, Irena S'rmlrnn.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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